


Just Stay Here With Me

by ethan_green



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid, StarKid Productions RPF
Genre: Everyone is Tom's kid, Found Family, Hannah is a baby at the beginning, Just a little bit of smoking, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Ethan Green, Other, Recreational Drug Use, Tim doesnt exist, Trans Female Character, autistic!hannah, cute family feels, schitzophrenic!hannah
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:34:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 15,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethan_green/pseuds/ethan_green
Summary: Ethan's parents hate themLex and Hannah's mom hits themTom Houston lives alone and ends up adopting three lost, broken kidsThis is their journey
Relationships: Becky Barnes & Ethan Green, Becky Barnes & Hannah Foster, Becky Barnes & Lex Foster, Becky Barnes/Tom Houston, Ethan Green & Hannah Foster, Ethan Green & Tom Houston, Hannah Foster & Lex Foster, Hannah Foster & Tom Houston, Lex Foster & Ethan Green, Lex Foster & Tom Houston, Lex Foster/Ethan Green
Comments: 108
Kudos: 407





	1. Ethan meets Hannah and Lex

Ethan was fourteen when they met Lex Foster. They were the new kid at Hatchetfield High, but being the new kid wasn't cool in middle school like it was in elementary. Everyone already had their friend groups, and no one was interested in taking in a stray, especially not one like Ethan. They stuck out like a sore thumb, with their dark leather jacket and green plaid skirt among the dark blue that everyone else seemed to wear. Everyone but her.

They met in Mr. Galara’s art class. She wore black and red, with eyeliner smudged under her eyes from yesterday and her dark hair loose and wild around her head, like a lion's mane. 

“So, you’re Ethan Green, huh?’ she said, sketching a little cartoon spider in her book.

“Maybe I am,” they shrugged. “What’s it to you?”

“Pass me that purple pencil,” she said. “I don’t know. You’re awfully fucking cute, for one thing.”

They felt their cheeks heat up and prayed it wasn’t too visible. “You'll have to do better than that. You aren’t the first girl to try to get me in her bed just to check the “I fucked a queer” off their bucket list. Do you have the pink paint?”

“Yeah, here. I don’t like you because your queer, dumbass,” Lex scoffed. She almost seemed offended that they would think that.

“Then why-” they were cut off by Mr. Galara.

“Pack up your supplies, five minutes until the bell rings!”

“Listen, I gotta pick up my kid sister from kindergarten and get her some food, meet me under the bleachers around eight?” Lex offered, shoving her art shit into her backpack.

“Why should I?” Ethan asked, staring at her warily. This wouldn't have been the first time that they had been tricked into getting themselves hurt.

“I’ll can steal some weed from my mom.”

They couldn't argue with that. “Deal.”

It was 7:54 and Ethan was sitting under the bleachers, singing softly to themself as they climbed and swung from the poles. 

“Ethan?” Lex called. "Is that you?"

“Who else?” they smirked, walking towards her.

Lex was holding a little girl, around five-years-old, in her arms and a bag of blunts was dangling from her long, nimble fingers.

“This is my baby sister, Hannah,” Lex told them. “Hannah, say hi to Ethan.”

“Hi,” Hannah said, pointing to Ethan's nose. “Shiny.”

“Why thank you, Hannah Banana,” they grinned, touching their septum piercing. “Did it myself.”

Lex set the kid on the ground on a blanket and lit a blunt. She took a deep drag before passing it to them.

“Oh, shit, that’s nice,” they sighed. 

“So, Ethan Green,” she smiled, smoke curling out of her mouth, “What’s your deal?”

“My deal?”

“You’ve got a look in your eyes. You’re fucked up. What's your deal?”

Ethan couldn’t even bring themself to be offended. “Dad’s a drunk. Mom shoots heroine. Neither of them are around much. You?”

“My mom’s an alcoholic. Everyone in town knows. Gotta take care of Hannah, gotta try and pass my classes and not die, right?” she shrugged.

“Fair enough,” they took another drag. “Wanna share smoke?”

“Fuck yes.” She took a puff and pressed her lips to theirs, exhaling.

Ethan felt the smoke shoot down their lungs and laughed into Lex’s mouth. 

“Good?”

“Really good.”

“Lexie!” Hannah said, interrupting their moment. “I’m cold!”

“One second,” Lex turned to her sister. “Hannah, I know, but we don’t have any more jackets, remember? I’ll have enough by next week.”

“Oh, wait,” Ethan shrugged off their jacket and pulled off their flannel. “Here. It’s warm.” They put their leather jacket back on, considerably colder, but they’d be alright.

They wrapped the green and black flannel around the little girl. “Better?”

“Better. Thank you Ethan!” she said, smiling sweetly.

“Anytime, Banana.”

“Not Banana! Hannah!” she giggled. 

“Hannah? Ugh, my bad!” they slapped their forehead.

Lex smiled. “I should probably get her home. It’s getting late.”

“Keep the flannel until she gets a jacket,” Ethan insisted. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’re an angel, Ethan Green,” Lex said, pressing a kiss to their cheek before helping her sister up and clutching her hand before walking away. As she walked away, Ethan swore they saw a halo and wings around her.


	2. Ethan meets Tom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan's running late, and their teacher is nice about it. And then is nice about Ethan's name not being on the attendance

Ethan was sprinting down the hall, late for the first day of class of grade ten. They ran down the hall, their big leather boots clunking on the tiles. New teacher, new school, same old habits. Go figure.

They opened the door, gasping for breath. The class was already working on a textbook, so no one even glanced up at them. They were probably expecting them to be late. They always were.

“Nice of you to join us,” the teacher said with a grin. “You know it’s 9:25, right? Class starts at nine.” 

“Sorry...had to babysit,” Ethan rolled their eyes. It wasn’t even a lie. Lex picked up an early shift at Toy Zone, so Ethan had to feed Hannah breakfast before dropping her off at the daycare.

“Well, nice to meet you. I’m Mr. Houston, I’m the new auto-shops teacher. And you are?”

“Ethan. Ethan Green.”

Mr. Houston went down the attendance list and paused for a second. “Can I talk to you in private for a minute?”

“Sure..?”

They walked into the small room that Mr. Houston was using for his office. 

“Ethan, are you trans?”

Ethan gaped at him. “I-I, well, I mean, I’m non-binary. So, yeah. How could you tell?”

“I’m a new teacher, they must have given me an old sheet. The only Green on here is █████ Green. Is that you?”

Ethan blushed, ducking their head. “Yeah. That’s my deadname. I'd rather you call me Ethan.”

“Alright, awesome, I’ll just fix that for you. You ever worked on a car before, Ethan?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah, once or twice. My girlfriend, Lex, is a lot better than me. Can’t drive to save her life though,” they smiled.

“Is she in one of my classes?”

“Yeah, this afternoon. She’s a bitch, you’ll get used to it,” Ethan said, proudly. They knew Lex was a bitch. It wasn't an insult. They loved her, every bit and piece of her, and that included the bitchiness.

Mr. Houston laughed. “Good to know. Come with me, Ethan, I’ll get you a textbook and a worksheet.”

Ethan’s body was filled with relief. “Thanks, Mr. Houston.”

“Anytime, kid. You ever need someone to talk to, I’ve got a lot of experience dealing with this stuff.”

Even as Ethan filled out the worksheet, a gross warmth flowed through their chest. It felt kinda nice, unfamiliar, but nice. It spread through their entire body and through their fingers, filling them to the brim.

When the bell rang, Mr. Houston clapped them on the shoulder before they left. “Good work today. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ethan.”

When Lex met up with them during lunch, she questioned them about the new teacher, dying for details.

“I hear he’s scary. Apparently, he threatened Grace Chastity and made her cry when she wouldn’t do the work because she was going to switch out,” she said, tossing them an apple. “Was he that bad?”

“No, actually, he-he was great. You’re gonna love him when you meet him this afternoon,” Ethan told her, crunching on it with relish.

“Really? I can’t wait.” She grinned, pressing a peanut butter-flavoured kiss to their lips.


	3. Lex meets Tom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex is introduced to her new teacher by Ethan and they have a conversation about said enby

Ethan walked Lex to class early at the end of lunch. Mr. Houston’s shop was at the very end of the school, so they were more or less alone. 

“Ethan Green, back so soon?” he grinned at them. "Not even late this time."

“Something like that. This is my girlfriend, Lex,” Ethan said, sticking out his tongue.

“The bitch. I remember,” Mr. Houston stuck his hand out. 

“What rumours have you been spreading, Green?” Lex asked, punching their shoulder.

“Nothing that wasn’t true, obviously,” Ethan teased.

“Oh fuck off, you bitch,” Lex smiled at the new teacher. “I’m Alexandra on the attendance, but you can call me Lex.”

“Nice to meet you Lex, I’m Mr. Houston.”

“I gotta run, babe, I’ve got biology, and if I don’t get a good mark, I’m pretty sure my mom’s going to murder me this time,” her boyfriend winked, dashing out the door with a flourish of their leather jacket.

Mr. Houston gave Lex a look. “Should I be concerned?”

“Don’t bother. No one else ever is.”

“Alright, I won’t,” he said, absolutely lying through his teeth. “Ethan tells me you’re pretty good with cars.”

“I’m alright. I used to work with my neighbours to help them fix their cars,” Lex admitted. “I really liked it.”

“Glad to hear it. I technically have to start you from the beginning, but if you finish early, I’d be happy to let you start taking apart an engine,” Mr. Houston offered.

Lex’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Sure. Wanna get started now?” 

“Yes!” 

Lex was done the worksheet five minutes after the class actually started, and true to his word Mr. Houston dug an old engine out of the back, complete with the manual, and set it on the work bench for her to tear apart. He pulled a stool up next to her.

“So, uh, Ethan doesn’t have a great home life then?” he asked.

Her shoulders tensed up, but kept her voice steady. “Why do you want to know?”

“It helps me to know what to expect. If they’re late, do I give them detention or let it slide? If they’ve got a black eye, do I call the cops or just give them an ice pack?”

Lex bit her lip, twirling a wrench between her fingers. “If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone?”

“I promise,” Mr. Houston agreed.

Lex swallowed, unscrewing the cover to the muffler. “Their mom screams at them all the time and she’s high on heroin half the time. Their dad’s a drunk and he’s knocked them around once or twice. Ethan doesn’t like anyone knowing though, so you can’t tell them I told you.”

“I won’t. Thank you for telling me, Lex.”

Lex nodded, looking kinda sick. “I feel bad, but I can’t do anything about it.”

“Do your parents know?”

She did a double take. “You’re new to Hatchetfield, aren’t you?”

“I am, actually. I moved here from Clivesdale. Why?”

“Well, everyone in Hatchetfield knows about my mom. She’s famous for always being drunk. We live in the trailer park by the West tracks,” Lex explained, scowling.

“Oh. Well, if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

“I won’t.”

“Alright,” he walked towards the other students. 

“But… thanks, Mr. Houston.”

He smiled. “Anytime, Lex.”


	4. Tom meets Hannah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah's school has a day off, so Hannah comes to school with Ethan and Lex. Unfortunately, public schools aren't made for neurodivergent kids. Mr. Houston to the rescue.

Three weeks passed without an incident, and honestly, I’m surprised they made it that long.

“Okay, so let me see if I’ve got this right,” Ethan rubbed their forehead. “Hannah’s got a day off from school. And you can’t leave her at home because your mom’s on a drunk rampage. And you’ve got work. Which means…”

“Which means you’re taking her to your first class. She’s got stuff to work on and you know Mr. Houston won’t care," Lex pointed out, helping Hannah into her backpack. "Please, angel?"

“Ugh, yeah. Alright,” Ethan grabbed their bag and turned to Hannah. “Come on, Banana, let’s split.”

Hannah walked next to them, humming quietly as she took their hand. 

“Is it a good day or a bad day, Banana?” they asked. 

“Good day,” she told them. “Lexie brought home a toy for me yesterday.”

“Do you want to tell me about it or do you want to play Questions?” Ethan asked. “Question” was the game they had made up for when Hannah wasn’t feeling very verbal. Ethan would ask a question, and Hannah would answer in as few words as possible.

“Questions.”

“Alright. Is it an animal?”

“Yes!”

“Does this animal have fur?”

“No!”

“Does it live in water?”

“No!”

"Is it real?"

"Yeah!"

By the time they got to Hatchetfield High, Ethan had discovered it was a stuffed spider named Webby, who was apparently from outer space. She whispered things to Hannah. Like a spidey sense.

They got to the classroom early, when there was only a couple other students, all caught up in their own pointless lives. 

“Mr. Houston?” they asked.

“Yeah, Ethan,” he turned, furrowing his brows at the sight of Hannah. “Who’s this?”

“This is Hannah, she’s Lex’s little sister. She’s got the day off school, and Lex didn’t want to leave her with their mom because…” Ethan trailed off, trying to come up with a good excuse.

“It’s all good, Lex explained a couple weeks back. Hello, Hannah, I'm Tom Houston,” Mr. Houston reached out his hand to Hannah, who shrunk back.

“Sorry, uh, she’s got a lot of brain stuff going on,” they apologized. “Aspergers and we’re waiting on a schizophrenia diagnosis. Can she just sit in here with me and colour?”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll catch you up on everything tomorrow, if that works?” the teacher offered.

“Yeah, great. Thank you, Mr. Houston,” Ethan said, pulling Hannah into the office and shutting the door.

They coloured pictures in the colouring book Lex had picked up from the dollar store all through first period, only stopping occasionally for a juice break.

“Alright, Banana-split, let’s get you to Lex,” Ethan said, hoisting the six-year-old onto their shoulders to avoid getting her trampled. They got a couple of odd looks, but Ethan couldn’t have cared less.

“Where are you going?” she asked, giggling as she bounced on their shoulders.

“I gotta go to my own class, silly! But I promise I’ll see you again at lunch,” they said. “You know when lunch is, right?”

“Twelve!”

“God, you’re so smart, Banana,” Ethan grinned, lifting her down to deposit her in front of Lex. 

“How was it?” their girlfriend asked, hugging Hannah tightly.

“She was great. We just coloured. Mr. Houston understood.”

“Of course he did, he’s Mr. Houston.”

“You’ve got a point.”

The bell rang, and Ethan grimaced. “See you at lunch, babe. Have fun, Banana-Split.”

The next two periods passed quickly, with Lex paying more attention to Hannah than to the lesson. 

“Come on, Banana, Ethan’s waiting for us in the cafeteria,” she said, tugging her sister away the minute the class ended.

Sure enough, there they were, chewing on a granola bar in the cafeteria. 

“Hey, Banana, how was class?”

“Boring.”

"Yeah, well, that's what math class does to you."

Lex and Ethan chatted while the sisters ate their sandwiches. 

“And then I had to literally stop Sherman from slapping a little girl over a My Little Pony toy. He had to be carried out by mall security,” Lex said.

“Is he banned from the store now?” Ethan asked.

“With the amount of money he spends at that store every week? Not a fucking chance,” Lex rolled her eyes.

“Lexie…” Hannah whimpered. “E-Ethan?”

Both teens turned to the younger girl, who was gripping the table rightly, breathing heavily.

“Too loud, too much, too bright, too much,” she chanted.

“Do you need to leave?” Lex whispered.

Hannah nodded.

“Come on.”

They hurried towards the back hall, where it was empty and Hannah could have her meltdown without judgemental stares.

Hannah screeched, scratching at her arms. Ethan took her hands gently, but she screamed and tore them away from them. 

“No leather!”

“Hannah, no, here,” Lex offered her Webby, a fidget spinner, and even a chewy necklace. Hannah kept shrieking, though she did squeeze Webby tightly in her fingers. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she sobbed in between her shrieks.

“We’ll just have to ride it out,” Ethan said, wrapping their arms around Lex. 

“Yeah,” she agreed sadly, watching her sister slowly calm herself down. “She hasn't gotten this upset in weeks. I knew it was too good to be true.”

"Don't say that. She told us this time, that's improvement!"

“Ethan? Lex? Is everything okay?” 

Mr. Houston was standing there.

“Sorry for bothering you, Mr. Houston. The cafeteria was too loud and bright,” Lex looked mortified. 

“It’s quite alright, Lex. I’ve got something that might help, I know it’s helped other autistic students in the past.” He ducked back into his classroom and returned with a rotating wrench.

“Hannah,” he said, keeping his voice low and friendly. “Would you like to play with this?”

Hannah looked up, tears staining her cheeks. Her shaky hands reached out and took it, twisting it. It made a pleasant clicking sound. She stared at it, repeating the movement over and over. The shrieking stopped.

“Thank you!” Lex sighed. 

“She can keep it,” Mr. Houston said. “I’ve got plenty.” He studied the three exhausted kids for a moment. “Take her home. Or...somewhere that’s not here.”

“But what about class?”

“You and Ethan come in tomorrow at lunch and I’ll catch you up together. Get her somewhere comfortable.”

Ethan felt like crying with relief. “Thank you, Mr. Houston.”

“Don’t thank me, Ethan. Take care of yourselfs too, or I’ll drag your asses home myself, got it?” he winked.

The three spent the rest of the day at the mall, sneaking into the movie theatre. There was no one else there, so when Hannah fell asleep on Lex’s right shoulder, and Ethan fell asleep on Lex’s left, Lex just smiled, shook her head, and fell asleep too.


	5. Ethan goes to live with Tom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan doesn't come to class and Tom is worried

Tom Houston was a lonely man. He lived alone in his three-bedroom house, nothing but the memories of his wife to keep him company. So when he met kids who were also without a real family, it was impossible to resist trying to get close to them.

At least that’s what he told himself. 

There was no denying, when Ethan came into his class with a split lip and a bloody nose, Tom wanted to help them. Wanted to go to the teen’s house and kill their parents. When Lex came to class, eyes still red from crying, he wanted to take her home and wipe her tears, make sure she never had to return to that damn trailer park. And when Hannah came to his class, a couple times a month, flinching at any noises too loud, he wanted to protect her from anything that might hurt her.

He couldn’t do those things. But he could help Ethan get the blood off their clothes and face. He could give Lex new things to do, things he wouldn’t let other students do. He could print off colouring pages and sneak Hannah candy when Lex wasn’t looking. And, by God, he did those things.

And it was enough. Until, one day, Ethan didn’t come to class.

Now, Ethan was notorious for skipping and being late, but they had only been late for shops a couple times, and there was always an explanation later. Once, they even limped to their door and apologized, saying they were pretty sure they fractured their ankle and they were driving to their shady uncle's (who was apparently a doctor) house to get it set. Nothing kept Ethan from coming to shops class. Until today.

Tom shook his head. Maybe they were sick. That was reasonable, it was November, and Hatchetfield had been pretty cold as of late, and the damn kid never wore anything thicker than a leather jacket. He couldn’t shake the fact that something felt off without the sarcastic comments and jokes Ethan was always saying. Still, he was sure it was nothing.

But then Lex didn’t show up either. 

_Maybe she’s taking care of them_ Tom told himself. By the end of the school day though with no word from either of them, he was even more worried. 

As he was walking out to his car, heavily considering going to the trailer park to check on Lex, a boy ran up to him.

“Are you Mr. Houston?” he asked. He was tall, wearing a white dress shirt with suspenders, and thick glasses. He looked kinda like a younger, nerdy Ethan.

“Yes, I am. What can I do for you?” 

“I’m Ethan’s cousin, Oliver. They mentioned you a couple times, and-and you know about their parents, right?”

“Yeah, I do. Are they okay?” 

“I don’t think so. My mom won’t do anything, she doesn’t like Ethan and she doesn’t think Aunt Loraine is actually bad, but I’ve seen her! And Ethan promised to bring me hot chocolate today, and they never break their promises!” Oliver was breathing harder and harder. “Please, you have to help!”

Tom’s mind was racing. He felt anger rise in his chest. “Alright, Oliver, thank you for telling me. How old are you?”

“I’m twelve.”

“Cool. You go home, okay? I’ll go check on them. I’ll get Ethan to call you if they’re okay, alright?”

“Okay! Sorry for bothering you, thank you!” Oliver ran off, towards a girl with space buns and glasses.

Tom got in his car. He pulled out his phone and searched up the address for Ethan first. It was closer than the trailer park. He pulled his gun out of his glove box and began driving. He needed to get to the kid.

The house looked normal from the street where he parked. It was painted white and blue, with all the blinds drawn and fliers sticking out of the mailbox. Tom knew, he knew from experience, horror stories could have pretty covers.

He knocked on the door.

The door swung open silently. Hannah. Tom clicked the safety on and shoved the gun back in his bag.

“Hi,” she whispered, chewing on her fingernails.

“Hello, Hannah. Is your sister here?”

“Uh huh,” she nodded. “Ethan’s hurt.”

Tom’s heart stopped. Ethan came into class with broken noses, sprained ankles, black eyes, and cracked ribs. Anything that kept him away from school was bound to be bad.

“Can you take me to them?”

“Yeah,” Hannah agreed. “Shh, Ethan’s mommy is asleep.”

Sure enough, there was a woman passed out on the couch, an empty syringe laying next to her hand. The only sign she was alive was the occasional snore. Tom and Hannah tiptoed around her, going upstairs. Hannah knocked on one of the doors lightly.

“Hannah?”

“Yeah.”

The door opened and there was Lex, dried tear tracks on her cheeks and a bruise forming on her cheek. 

“Mr. Houston?” she gasped. “What are you doing here?” She ushered them in before closing the door and locking it with a click.

“Someone told me Ethan might be in trouble. And when you didn’t show, I was worried sick about you too,” he shrugged, turning to look at Ethan.

The kid was laying on a pullout bed, face and neck covered in blood, and for a minute Tom thought they were dead. They cracked open their eyes and grinned at him. “Hey, Mr. Houston. Sorry for missing your class."

“Don’t even start.” Tom shook his head. He just wanted to take the kids home, protect them, hold them, comfort them, but he forced himself to stay professional and calm. “Come on. You’re coming to my house. You can tell me what happened on the way.”

“We can’t leave! What if she wakes up?” Lex hissed, grabbing his arm, eyes wide with panic.

“You can’t stay here forever, Lex. Sooner is better than later.” She still seemed unsure. “I’ve got food and a First Aid kit.”

“Fine.” Lex grabbed her bag. “Hannah, stay very quiet, okay?”

“I know, Lexie,” she said.

Ethan sat up, wincing. Tom helped them up and put an arm around them to keep them steady.

“Hurry, hurry!” Lex urged, gripping Hannah's wrist tight enough to bruise.

They slipped through the house as fast as they could, Ethan biting their sleeve to stop from crying out. They opened the door and they all seemed to breathe out simultaneously. 

Hannah climbed into the backseat, and Tom helped Ethan sit next to her. Lex sat in the front seat of the truck with Tom and began to explain.

“Ethan called me at about ten, saying their mom was high and beat them around a little, so and they wouldn’t be at school. Well, I know Ethan would rather do anything than stay in that damn house, so I went to pick them up,” she rubbed her face.

“My mom thought I had her powder, so she just went crazy,” Ethan said. “She's never hit me that bad before. I couldn’t move. Lex found me on the ground.”

“I got them upstairs, but then their mom woke up, and she hit me pretty good,” Lex was shaking. “We locked her out of the bedroom and she screamed at us for a while before going back downstairs. Hannah slipped out when she saw you pull up.” She spun to look at her sister. “And don’t you EVER scare me like that again, okay?”

“Okay,” Hannah nodded.

“I have pasta, or maybe frozen chicken, I’m not sure, is that okay for Hannah?” Tom asked, pulling up his driveway. "I can run out and grab something otherwise."

“Pasta's probably,” Lex agreed. “As long as it’s plain.”

“Alright, Green, lets get your ass inside,” Tom said, helping them up. 

Tom got Ethan sitting on the couch, turned on some water for pasta, and grabbed the First Aid kit from under the sink.

Lex sat next to Ethan. Tom passed her an ice pack.

“Press that to your face,” he said. “Hannah, are you okay? Not hurt?”

“I’m okay,” Hannah said, curling up next to her sister, twisting her stim toy.

“Alright, Ethan,” Tom said, crouching next to them. “Call your cousin. I’m gonna patch up your face, then we can work on your chest, okay?”

“My cousin?” they asked.  
  
“Yeah, Oliver. He was worried about you. Something about hot chocolate,” he shrugged, unwrapping an alcohol pad. “This might sting.”

“Oh, that brat,” Ethan smiled. “Lex, pass me my phone.”

She did and they dialed a number by heart. “Hey, Ollie.”

As they apologized and promised hot chocolate some other day, Tom wiped the blood off their face. There was a lot of blood.

“Yeah, he’s here. Yeah, I’ll tell him. Alright, bye Ollie. See you on Monday.” Ethan hung up. “He says to tell you thank you.”

“As if I could just leave you.”

“That’s what the other teachers do,” Lex pointed out.

“I guess I’m a bit different,” Tom said. “Fuck, Ethan, you lost a lot of blood.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Ethan agreed. “I’m tired.”

“That would be the concussion,” Tom threw out the pads. “This is gonna sound weird, but take off your shirt.”

It was a testament of how hurt Ethan was, they didn’t even protest or make a joke.

There were scars littering Ethan’s body, from slashes left from a blade, to small circles about the size of a cigarette, to tiny slices from a razor. There were blotches of blue and purple, the shape of a foot, on their ribs, and a small gash that was bleeding sluggishly.

“I know,” Ethan whispered. “It’s bad.”

“You’ll live,” Tom said tightly, pressing a bag of frozen peas to the bruises. “Hold this here.”

He poured pasta into the pot and set a timer. He took a deep breath, anger coursing through his veins. He felt like driving back to Ethan’s house and murdering the bitch who did this.

Once he felt calm enough, he returned. Lex was wrapped around Ethan, who had tears in his eyes. 

“You okay, E?” he asked.

“I-I thought I was gonna die!” the fifteen-year-old choked out. “I was so sure I was gonna die in there, and I thought she was gonna kill Lex and Hannah and I wasn't gonna be able to stop her and I was so scared!”

“It’s okay now, you’re okay” he said.

“Yeah, until when? Until I go back tomorrow and it happens again?” they asked.

“You think I’d make you go back?” Tom asked.

Lex and Ethan looked up, gaping. Even Hannah stared at him.

“The cops won’t do shit,” they said slowly. “They don’t care. I’ve got a record. They'll make me go back.”

“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do,” Tom assured them. “But, there’s an extra room here. A bed, food, and somewhere safe to stay, that’s it.”

Ethan nodded before they knew what they were doing. “Okay.”

“Great. Come up to the counter, the pasta’s almost ready.”

As Tom scooped the pasta into bowls, he grinned. He could hear Hannah giggling at something Ethan said, and Lex scolding them jokingly. Having a teenager in the house would be an adjustment, but it was worth it if it meant he never had to see Ethan hurt ever again.


	6. Tom and Ethan's first fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Ethan have an argument and Lex is too wise for her own good.

“Ethan! Time to wake up, bud!” Tom called, banging on his door. 

“I’m up!” Ethan yelled back. "I'll be five minutes!"

“Good! Are we picking up Lex?”

“Nah, she’s got work!”

Ethan had been a surprisingly easy roommate to have. They didn’t take food without asking, they were quiet, they didn’t make messes. Back in college, Tom would've killed to have them as a dorm mate, but now it him kinda sad. Ethan clearly didn’t feel at home, and Tom wanted them to feel welcome. Still, it had only been two weeks, so he wasn't too worried. They'd warm up soon. They had to.

As Ethan climbed into the car, eyes still sleepy, but also nervous, they fiddled with their phone. “Mr. Houston?”

“You can call me Tom,” he said. “But what’s up?”

“My, uh, my mom texted me this morning,” they said, staring at their lap. They twisted their dad's ring on their finger anxiously.

Tom stiffened up but tried not to let Ethan notice. Of course, they did anyway. “Okay. What did she say?”

“That if I didn’t come back tonight, then I might as well never go home,” Ethan said, angrily rubbing their bruised knuckles.  
  
Tom didn’t get why it mattered. “Okay. Do you want me to do something about that?”

“Well, I just thought you would want one last chance to kick me out before you feel too guilty about putting me on the streets,” they said, scowling out the window.

“Ethan, we talked about this,” Tom reminded them, trying to keep his voice steady. “You’re welcome in my home. I want it to be your home too.”

“Yeah, for how long? Until you get tired of me? My dad used to play catch with me in the yard, my mom used to bake with me. People fucking change, Tom.”

“I won’t. I swear, Ethan, I want to keep you safe.”

Ethan snorted. “As if. This is your last chance to kick me out."

“Ethan.” Against his will, his voice lowered. “You know I wouldn't do that.” He knew in an instant he had fucked up.

“Let me out,” they said, suddenly. “I’ll walk to school.”

“Ethan, bud, I told you, we gotta talk this stuff through,” Tom pleaded. 

“No, let me out, Mr. Houston, let me out!” Ethan shouted. They were panicking. Hardly breathing.

Tom pulled over to the side of the road and the punk hopped out, taking off running, their backpack bouncing wildly on their back. 

“Ethan, you better be in class!”

He received a middle finger in return.

It wasn’t surprising when Ethan wasn’t in class, but Lex stopped by during second period. Tom ignored the fact that she was supposed to be in another teacher's class. Just this once.

“Where are they?” he asked, rubbing his forehead.

“They’re here. Probably in English Lit right now,” she said, hopping up on the work bench. 

“So they’re avoiding me? Great.”

“What happened, anyway?” Lex asked. “They wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“Ah, their mom texted them. We had a bit of an argument on the way here and they made me let them out. They ran here.”

Lex winced. “Yeah. Their mom is a sore subject. They really love her, you know? They’re having a tough time with leaving her. It’s got them all stressed.”

"I know, I just wish they understood how much I care about them."

"Well, you're the first teacher to ever give a shit about us," Lex pointed out, chewing on a piece of bubblegum. "They've been coming to school with bruises and shit for two years, and no one's batted an eye. It's scary for them, and for me too, honestly. We're both scared you'll turn away the minute we get too fucked up."

"I would never," Tom said.

"Yeah, I know. Give it some time."

“I don’t know, Lex, I think I fucked up,” he rolled his eyes. “What am I doing? I’m getting parenting advice from a fifteen year old.”

“Sixteen,” Lex corrected. “And I’ve only been raising my kid sister for seven years. I know a thing or two.”

“You’re right,” Tom admitted. “What should I do?”

“Nothing.”

“What?”

“I’ve known Ethan for nearly three years. They’ll come back. I bet they’re already being eaten alive by guilt. I’ll talk to them. If they’re not home tonight, they’ll be with me.”

“Alright, Lex. See you this afternoon.”

“See ya, Mr. Houston,” Lex gave him a little salute.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Uneventfully, that is, until three-thirty. 

There was a soft knock on the door. 

Tom opened the door. Ethan Green themself stood there, staring at their boots.

“Hey, Ethan,” he said gently. He pulled the door open wider, but Ethan didn't come in.

“Please don’t send me away,” their voice cracked, looking up at him with wet green eyes.

“Ethan…” And suddenly, Tom had an armful of teenager in his arms. Ethan was clearly trying (and failing) not to cry. They shook desperately. Tom hugged him back.

"I'm-I'm," Ethan was choking on their words. "I'm sorry."

“It’s okay,” Tom whispered, running his fingers through ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶k̶i̶d̶'̶s̶ Ethan’s hair as they sobbed into his flannel-coated chest. “It's okay, angel. I won’t ever give up on you, I cross my heart.”


	7. Lex and Hannah run away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex has finally had enough

The doorbell rang while Tom was in the shower, three weeks later. Ethan paused for a minute before opening the door. He wasn't in the hood anymore, it wasn't going to be a junkie at the doorstep, or their mom's dealer or boyfriend. They took a deep breath, swinging it open.

Lex and Hannah stood in front of them. Hannah was crying silently, clutching her backpack tightly. Lex had a massive black eye and was dragging a suitcase behind her. As soon as the door was open, Hannah was attached to their waist.  
  
“Ethan!” 

They stumbled slightly, returning the hug gently. They looked at their girlfriend.

“Lexie, what happened?” 

She sobbed, reaching for them. They pulled her into the hug too.

“Mommy hit me,” Hannah whimpered.. 

Ethan pulled back, staring in horror.

“I’m not going back. I can’t,” Lex said, sniffing.

“Come on. Tom’s in the shower, he’ll be out soon,” they said, leading them to the living room. “Where does it hurt, Banana-Split?”

Hannah pointed to her wrist, which Ethan noticed was already starting to bruise. They were pressing an ice pack to it when Tom came downstairs, hair still wet, but dressed.

“Lex? Hannah? What’s going on?” he asked, looking concerned.

“My mom hit Hannah,” Lex explained, wiping her eyes, though the tears kept on coming. “I couldn’t stay.”

“God,” Tom rubbed his forehead. “Do you have anyone else to live with?”

Lex shook her head, hiding her face in her hands. “No.”

“Alright, well, we’ve got one more room here. You’re staying, if you don’t mind sharing a bed,” he said casually, as if he was telling them what he was making for dinner.

“Mr. Houston, we can’t-” Lex began.

“Why not? You’re here half the time anyway,” he smiled.

“We don’t have much money, I can’t pay you much for rent,” she said shamefully.

“Damn, kid, you think I charge Ethan? No, ‘cause they’re my kid,” Tom said, turning on the kettle for coffee.

“Yeah, but they would’ve died if they stayed with their parents. My mom barely hits me…” she pointed out.

“She shouldn’t be hitting you at all!”

Lex was silent for a minute.

“Come on, Lex,” Ethan spoke up from where they were trying to cheer Hannah up with Batman bandaids. “You said it yourself: you can’t take Hannah back there. You think living on the streets is better than living here?”

“Fine,” Lex agreed, crossing her arms, but Tom could see a hint of a smile on her face.

“Good. Where did she hit you? Other than that shiner?” Tom asked, pouring Lex a cup. “You want cream or sugar?”

“Cream, no sugar please,” Lex said. “Um, my shoulder feels a bit off.”

“Mommy grabbed her,” Hannah whispered to Ethan. “Scary.”

“She grabbed you?” Ethan asked.

“I was hiding,” Lex blushed. “In the closet, with Hannah. She dragged me out.”

Tom passed out the coffee to Ethan and Lex and poured a little glass of chocolate milk for Hannah.

“I know she’s not supposed to have sugar, but I think she deserves it,” he said. “Can you take off your jacket, Lex?”

The teenager winced, groaning as she peeled off the sweater. Her shoulder was dark purple and looked weird, in the wrong position. Ethan looked away, pulling out their phone to pull up a video for Hannah to watch.

“It’s dislocated. I’m going to have to push it back in,” Tom said. He shocked himself by being so calm, but he was grateful anyway. His girls were upset and scared. He had to be calm, or everything else would be worse. 

“Okay,” Lex grit her teeth. “Do it.”

He pushed it back in with a sickening pop and Lex cried out. 

“Oh fuck!” She wiped at her eyes desperately. “Fuck, that hurt.”

“Sorry. Does it feel a bit better now?”

“Yeah,” she said. "Still hurts though."

“Good. I’m just going to make a little bit of a sling. Ethan, can you grab the Advil?”

They nodded, leaving Hannah on the couch, engrossed in a children’s show on YouTube. 

Lex was shaking, coming down from the high of adrenaline. “Mr. Houston, I’m scared.”

“I know, Lex,” he said, putting a hand on her uninjured shoulder. “It’ll all be okay.”

“No,” she glanced over at her sister and whispered. “I’m the one who pays for my mom’s weed and booze. She’ll find us.”

“I won’t let that happen. I’ll die before I let something happen to you kids.”

“But how can you know for sure? You’re not our dad,” Lex said.

It was true. He wasn’t their dad. But he could try.  
  
“You’ll just have to trust me. Can you do that?”

Lex nodded, a faint smile on her lips.


	8. That Night and Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cute fluff, honestly.

That night, as Ethan was trying to fall asleep, they heard a quiet knock on their door.

“Ethan?” Hannah said, tears pooling in her big brown eyes. “Can I sleep with you tonight?”

“Of course, Banana-Split,” they agreed, lifting her into their arms. She was getting too big to be carried, Lex always said, but Ethan didn’t care. She was always going to be their little sister. “Did you have a nightmare?”

“No. Too scared to sleep,” she said, nuzzling up to them under the covers. Her ear was pressed to their chest, right next to their heart and Ethan smiled in spite of themself. 

“What about Lex?”

“She’s tired. Didn’t wanna bother her.”

Ethan sighed. Hannah was too damn observant for a seven-year-old. 

Hannah was asleep, and Ethan was most of the way there, when the door creaked open and Lex curled up on the other side of them. She wrapped her arm around them, her hand landing on top of their heart. 

“I love you,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to their neck.

Ethan smiled. They were about to return it, but a wave of exhaustion waved over them and they didn't. They drifted off the sleep, feeling content with both of their girls in their arms, warm, safe, and happy.

Tom woke up early that morning. He already knew he wasn’t going to make the kids go to school. He’d call in sick, make them breakfast, let them sleep in. Just this once.

He opened Lex and Hannah’s door, just to make sure they were okay, but the bed was empty. His heart leapt. He ran across the hall to Ethan’s, where he threw open the door and stopped in his tracks.

Oh. That was cute.

Ethan was laying in the middle of the bed, one arm holding Hannah close to them, the other around Lex. All were still asleep. Tom didn’t think his heart could feel any fuller.

It was refreshing, seeing Lex without her face scrunched with worry, Hannah without the look of anxiety in her eyes, Ethan without a spot of anger. 

Tom smiled, closing the door. He crept downstairs and started the coffee maker. Kids liked pancakes, right? He’d make pancakes.

He was just finishing the first few when Hannah came downstairs. 

“Hey, Hannah,” he smiled. “How was your sleep?”

“Good,” she whispered. 

“That’s good. I made pancakes. Do you want to eat now, or wait for Ethan and Lex?”

“Ethan and Lex. Soon.”

“They’ll be down soon?”

Hannah nodded. 

Sure enough, within five minutes, both teens were downstairs. 

“How’s your shoulder, Lex?” 

“Hurts a bit, but better than yesterday,” she said. 

“Glad to hear it. Pancakes?”

He leaned against the counter to watch the kids as they ate, only stepping in to help Hannah cut up her food. “How’s your wrist?”

“All better,” Hannah showed it to him. There were clear fingermark bruises around it, but it wasn’t swollen, so that was good.

“Good.” 

“Mr. Houston?” Lex said, twirling her fork nervously. 

“You can call me Tom,” he reminded her. “What’s up?”

“Did you mean what you said yesterday?”

“What thing?” he asked, sipping his coffee.

She blushed a deep red. “You’ll protect us?”

“Oh,” he paused. “Yes, Lex, I’ll protect you.”

“Okay,” she chewed on a pancake slowly. “Thanks, Mr. Hou-Tom. Thanks, Tom.”

"Anytime, Lex."


	9. Ethan's Mom Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: CHILD ABUSE (VERBAL AND PHYSICAL)
> 
> Ethan's mom comes to Hatchetfield High and Tom proves he meant what he said

Things were good, for a while. Tom would drop Hannah off at Hatchetfield Elementary before driving himself and the teens to the high school. If Hannah had a day off, or if it was a bad day and she couldn’t go to school, he kept her in his office and they would hang out during his free periods. When Ethan got diagnosed with dyslexia, Tom helped them deal with it, raising their English mark. When Lex got detention for fighting a boy who called Ethan a retard, Tom got her ice cream and made sure the boy was punished. So, yeah, things were pretty great.

Until Mrs. Green showed up at the school.  
  
Ethan actually didn’t see her first. Lex did. She noticed her through the window during her math class and froze. The worst part? She was about to enter through the front doors. Lex's chest filled with horror. 

“Mr. Hutch? Can I go to the bathroom?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

“Sure.” 

She grabbed her bag and booked it down the hall. She _had_ to get to Tom before Mrs. Green got to Ethan. She paused for only a second, to text Ethan. _Meet in Tom’s room now. Emergency._ She shoved her phone into her pocket and prepared to keep running.

“Not so fast, you little bitch!” 

Mrs. Green caught her. Lex was dragged back by her hood, choking her.

“Lemme go!” she screamed, begging someone to come. Even the least caring teachers couldn’t ignore this, right? She suddenly hated how far away from other classes Tom’s room was. No one would hear her scream.

“I don’t think so! You stole my favourite toy! Where is he? Where’s █████?” Lex flinched at the smell of old weed and stale alcohol the woman reeked of.o

“I don’t know!” she lied. “Please, let me go!”

“I know you’re lying! Where is he?”

She threw Lex to the ground. The teen covered her face, waiting for the blows. That never came.

“Mom, stop!” Ethan yelled. Lex looked up. Her boyfriend was standing in front of her, protecting her, their body in between her and their mom. Protecting her from their biggest fear.

“You little whore!” she shouted. “You ungrateful slut! Just like your damn father.”

Lex watched in horror as her boyfriend’s face swung back as she slapped them. She stumbled to her feet, taking off running towards Tom’s class. She had never run faster in her life.

“Lex, what’s wrong?” he asked, grabbing her shoulders as she wheezed for air. The hit to the ground had bruised her ribs pretty good.

“Ethan’s-Ethan’s mom is here.”

“Where’s Ethan?”

“With her!” Lex grabbed his arm and began running again. “Hurry!”

They turned the corner as the flash of a blade left Mrs. Green’s pocket. Ethan was pushed against the wall, breathing heavily. She pressed the knife against their neck, just enough to draw a thin line of blood.

“Tom!” The amount of trust and hope that entered Ethan’s eyes was almost heartbreaking. They had absolute faith that Tom would save them. Tom was ready to fulfill the promise he’d made when the teen came to live with him, almost three months ago now.

“Mrs. Green, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Tom said, raising his hands and stepping forward slowly.

“Who are you?” she swung around. Her eyes looked like Ethan’s, but there was no warmth in them. Nothing but crazed mania and rage. Her pupils were huge. She almost looked like an animal. Tom's heart pounded heavily. He needed to get Ethan away from her.

“I’m one of Ethan’s teachers. Please, put down the knife.”

She stepped closer and Ethan ducked around her and back to Lex, who grabbed them tightly. “I called the police, don’t worry. We won’t let her take you.”

“If I can’t have him,” Mrs. Green said. “You can’t either.”

A sharp pain erupted through Tom’s stomach where she plunged the knife in. 

“Tom!” Lex screamed. Ethan dove for him, catching him before he hit the ground. 

The rest of what happened was a blur. Ethan pressed their hands to Tom’s wound, Lex was trying to keep him awake, and both were crying. Tom was attempting to reassure them, but it was clear he was scared. Mrs. Green had run off. At some point, the police and paramedics got there and pushed the two away.

“We’ve got to take him to the hospital. Are you his students?”

“We’re-”

“His kids,” Ethan turned to Lex. “I’ll pick up Hannah, you go with him. We’ll meet you there.”

Lex agreed, squeezing their hand. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I know, Lexie.”

Hannah was waiting for them when Ethan ran up to the door, her favourite EA, Ms. A, sitting next to her.

“She insisted you’d be here. I didn’t know, but she was getting pretty upset about it, so we were doing some math out here,” Ms. A said, smiling.

“Yeah, we gotta get going, Banana-Split. Tom’s in the hospital,” Ethan said, signing their signature on the sign-out sheet. "Sorry about this. Family emergency."

"It's no problem. I'll see you tomorrow, Hannah," Ms. A said, high-fiving her before returning to the classroom.

“What happened?”

Ethan bit their lip. On one hand, Hannah was too young to know. On the other hand, she was going to find out anyway.

“Remember my mom?” they asked as they began to walk. The hospital was an hour walk from the school, but as long as they kept talking, it wouldn’t be so bad.

Hannah scowled. “Mean, angry lady.”

“Yeah,” they agreed. “She came to school today to try and hurt me and Lexie.”

Hannah stopped, tugging on Ethan’s jacket until they bent down and then grabbing their face. She studied it intently for a few seconds. She touched the red handprint and frowned.

“Is Lexie okay?”

“Yeah, she’s okay. I’m okay too, Banana, promise.”

“What about Tom?” she asked, beginning to walk again.

“She-she stabbed him, but don’t worry! He was still talking to us while they loaded him into the ambulance, and the doctors are going to fix him up, right as rain!” Ethan added quickly.

“Don’t like doctors.”

They winced. Hannah’s autism had gone undiagnosed for so long, and the doctors were harsh with her. Ethan remembered having to calm her down after a meltdown at the office when she had to be held down to get a vaccination.

“These doctors will be nice.”

Hannah nodded, humming as she chewed on her wrist. Her bag of stim toys were with Lex, so Ethan let it go. It was a rough day for everyone.

Lex had to wait in the waiting room, and she wished she had gone to get Hannah instead of Ethan. Even having to explain what happened to her sister would have been better than waiting alone, knowing Tom was somewhere, getting stitched back together. All because he was protecting her and Ethan. The police came by, gathered her statement, and left, leaving her feeling even worse.

Fourty-seven minutes into the wait and her sister and boyfriend showed up.

Lex wrapped Hannah in a tight hug, trying not to cry. 

“He’ll be okay, right Lexie?” Hannah asked.

“Of course he will, Banana,” she said. “It’s scary though, huh?”

Ethan was pacing, sitting down, then standing back up. 

“Ethan, babe, calm down,” Lex said, sitting down with Hannah in her lap.

“I can’t!” they exclaimed, their voice getting more Australian as they got more upset. “It’s my fault! If I just sucked it up and went to live with her, Tom wouldn’t be hurt!” 

“And then, what, you’d be dead?” Lex scoffed. “That doesn’t help anyone, angel. We'd still be here, and Tom would even more worried.”

“I-I’m gonna go get some drinks. Want anything?”

“Coffee. Want a drink, Hannah-Banana?”

“Milk, please.”

Ethan nodded, walking away. Lex could see them clenching their fists. To anyone else, it would look like anger. She knew better. They were trying to stop their hands from shaking.

“Family of Mr. Tom Houston?” a woman in blue scrubs called.

“That’s us, Banana.” Lex got up, leading her baby sister to the woman.  
  
“He’s been out of surgery for a while, and he’s waking up. He’s asking for, uh,” she checked her notes. “Lex, Hannah, and Ethan?”

“That’s us. Ethan’ll be back in a minute, they went on a coffee run. So...Tom’s okay?”

“He got very lucky. The knife didn’t hit any organs, and the wound was relatively shallow. He’ll be able to go home in a couple days, and he’ll be back on his feet in about two weeks, but he should avoid moving around too much before then.”

“Can we see him?” Hannah asked shyly.

“Of course, sweetie. It might look a bit scary, he’s got a lot of machines hooked up to him, but they’re mostly precautions.” With that, the nurse led them to a pale green room that smelled like rubbing alcohol and cleaning supplies.

Tom lay in the bed, an oxygen cannula up his nose and a few IV stands set up next to him. He was very pale, and the consistent beeping was just annoying.

Lex felt her breath hitch, tears returning to her eyes. She tried to hold them back. Hannah didn’t.  
  
“Tom!” the little girl cried, throwing herself onto the bed, making sure to avoid his stomach.

“Hey, Hannah,” he grinned. “Don’t cry, I’m okay.” Hannah said nothing, curling herself into his uninjured side. She fit perfectly.

A sob tore itself out of Lex’s throat. “You scared me.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” he opened his arms gingerly. “C’mere, girlie.”

She hugged him, allowing him to squeeze her. “I’m sorry.”

“What on Earth are you sorry for?”

“I knew she was there,” Lex told him. “I was trying to get to you. I should have called you first.”

Tom smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You should have. But that’s okay. You did what you thought was right. I’m proud of you.”

A tall shadow filled the doorway as Lex pulled away.

“Hey, bud. How you doing?” Tom smiled.

Ethan broke. Lex had never seen them go from okay to not so quickly. They put the drinks on the table and covered their face with their hand.  
  
“It’s all my fault,” they muttered wetly.

“Ethan Green, you get your ass over here right now,” Tom said, looking angry and concerned. Ethan came closer, eyes red. They sniffed, sitting down on the bed next to Tom's legs. Tom pulled him down, so they were face to face.

Tom took Ethan’s face in his hands, looking into the teen’s warm brown eyes. “I swore when you came to live with me I’d die before I let you get hurt again. I meant it. It’s not your fault. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I'm okay. I heal fast, I've got good metabolism. You would have died. I would get stabbed 100 times before I let her take you. Do you believe me?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. I love you, angel.”

As they drank shitty coffee and talked, they all felt more and more relaxed. By the time visiting hours were over, all three kids and Tom were asleep. None of the nurses had the heart to wake them.


	10. It's a seecreeet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's cute, I promise
> 
> (I'm aware this isn't how it works, but artistic license okay?)

Lex had known for a long time Hannah was different. It was obvious. She didn’t play with other kids much, she kept her imaginary friends for a little too long, and she didn’t talk much. Certain things, small things, could send her spiraling into what Lex used to think were tantrums.

So when Lex got a suggestion from one of Hannah’s preschool teachers to look into a possible autism diagnosis, she wasn’t even surprised. They didn’t have the money to go to an actual doctor, but Lex did an hour of googling at the school library during lunch and that same day, she took Hannah to Toy Zone and they chose out a couple stim toys. 

When Ethan found out about it, they didn’t really know how to react. They also began googling and within two months, they were almost as good as Lex at helping Hannah through her meltdowns.

Tom also adapted quickly. He learned which foods Hannah could always eat, which ones she couldn’t eat, and how to make sure she got all her fruits and vegetables in a texture she could handle. He went with her to her appointments and paid for her antipsychotics. He never made her do things she couldn’t do. 

Hannah liked Tom. He never yelled, not even when she dropped and broke a glass. He was strong, he could lift her way over his head and spin her around as if she weighed nothing. Even Ethan couldn’t do that anymore! And, best of all, he talked to her! About Webby, about school, about anything. He listened! He made her feel nice; she even started liking school more, and she had a small group of friends. So yes, Hannah liked Tom. 

He always dropped her off first, and he always picked her up last, which was why it was odd when he didn’t have Ethan and Lex when he came to pick her up on the last day of school before Christmas break.  
  
“Ethan got detention,” Tom explained, helping her get her jacket on and zipping it up. “Lex is waiting for them, they’re going to meet us at the mall.”

“We’re going to the mall?” Hannah’s eyes lit up. “Why?”

“I thought it would be a nice treat, and I’ve got a surprise for you. You like the mall, right, Hannah-Banana?” Tom asked.

“Yeah!” Hannah bounced excitedly in her car seat. “Can we get curly fries?”

“Sure,” he agreed. “Do you want to buy Lex and Ethan a Christmas present while we wait?”

Hannah gasped. “Can I?”

“Of course you can. What do you think they’d like?”

“Um... Lexie likes movies. Can I get her a gift card?”

“Whatever you want,” Tom said, helping her out of the car. Her tiny hand fit perfectly in his much larger one.

“Mommy never let me buy Lex presents,” she told him.

Tom didn’t respond, but when Hannah looked up at him, he looked sad. 

“What do you think Ethan wants?” she asked.

“Well, I don’t know, Han. I got them a new set of headphones. Maybe you could get them some new gloves?”

“Mhm,” she said thoughtfully.

They wandered around the mall, holding hands. They stopped by the movie theatre and bought a $30 giftcard before going to Hot Topic. Hannah studied the different gloves until she finally decided on black ones with skeleton bones on them.

“They’ll love those,” Tom said approvingly. “Is that everything?”

“Mhm. I’m gonna draw them pictures too!”

“That sounds good.” Tom pulled out his phone. “Ethan and Lex are in the food court, are you ready for dinner?”

“Yeah. Curly fries?”

“Whatever you want, baby girl,” he swung her up on her shoulders as she squealed happily.

They joined the teenagers at a table. Ethan had a black eye and Lex looked exhausted, but they both perked up when they arrived.

“Hey, Banana. Was today a good day or a bad day?” Lex asked.

“Good day. Tim sat with me at lunch and I made it all the way across the monkey bars without falling!” she replied. “What happened to your eye?”

Ethan grinned sheepishly. “Well-”

“A guy slapped my ass and Ethan decided to take it upon themself to beat the shit out of him,” Lex cut in. 

“A noble cause,” Tom nodded. “I promised Hannah curly fries, what do you two want?”

“I think I’ll get pizza,” Lex said. “But Ethan’s been craving sushi all day.”

“Come on then, angel, let’s go get the food,” Tom said, putting his arm around Ethan’s shoulder. He whispered in their ear. "You okay?"

Ethan shook their head. When they were far enough away that the girls wouldn’t hear them, they started speaking. “Sorry about the detention.”

Tom rolled his eyes as they got in line for sushi. “E, you and I both know I would have done the same thing.”

Ethan nodded. “I know, but still, I-I,” they swallowed heavily. “I don’t know. My parents solved everything with their fists. I don’t wanna be like them.”

Tom’s heart clenched. “Ethan, your parents used their fists for hurting, not protecting. And don’t think I haven’t noticed how hard you’ve been working. This is your first fight in, what, two months?”

Ethan gave a short huff of laughter. “New personal best. Haven't gone this long since I was in grade seven.”

“There you go. You’re getting there,” Tom clapped them on the shoulder. “I’m going to go order mine and Hannah’s food, can you grab Lexie’s pizza?” He passed them a twenty dollar bill.

“Sure. Thanks, Tom.”

By the time Tom got back to the table with two burgers and a large order of curly fries Ethan was already trying to convince Lex to take a bite of their wasabi. Worse, Lex was about to do it.

“Bad idea, guys,” he warned, passing Hannah, his only Good and Pure child her food. "Lex, you don't have to."

"Well, I do _now_!"

Lex popped the whole thing in her mouth and immediately started coughing, eyes watering. Ethan lost it, giggling as they watched their girlfriend suffer.

Tom shook his head. 

“Can we go see Santa after dinner?” Hannah asked, passing her sister her cup of water.

“That’s the plan,” Tom nodded.

“Good idea,” Lex rasped, flipping off Ethan. “That’s the worst thing I’ve ever done. Why do I still listen to you?”

Ethan pouted. “Because you love me?”

Lex sighed, kissing them. “Yeah.”

After all four of them were done, they made their way over to Santa’s village, where, since it was so early, there were only three families in front of them. Hannah was practically vibrating by the time they got to the front, and there was a small line starting behind them.

“You two go too,” Tom said, pushing the teenagers gently. “It’ll make a cute picture.”

Lex laughed, going to join her sister on Santa’s lap. Ethan stood behind her, leaning on the chair.

“What’s your name, little girl?” Santa asked.

“I’m Hannah, and that’s my sister, Lex, and her boyfriend, Ethan,” Hannah told him, brown eyes shining with excitement.

“And have you been a good girl, Hannah?” he asked.

“I think so,” she nodded, glancing at Tom, who nodded encouragingly.

“I know you have,” Santa assured her. “What do you want for Christmas?”

“Um…” Hannah whispered into his ear, something Tom couldn’t catch. He handed a large envelope to an elf, explaining the situation quickly. She smiled, nodding.

“Oh, that’s good!” Santa exclaimed. “Now, Hannah, I’ve got an early Christmas present for the three of you, but your sister has to open it, okay?”

“Okay!”

Lex looked puzzled, even as one of the elves gave her an envelope. She opened it and pulled out a letter.

“Read it out loud,” Santa encouraged.

“Dear sir,” Lex began. “We are pleased to inform you that-” She covered her mouth with her hand, tears springing to her eyes.

“Keep going, Lexie!”

“We are pleased to inform you that Ethan Jack Green, Alexandra Elizabeth Foster, and Hannah Mary Foster have been placed into the permanent care of Mr. Tom Houston by the state of Michigan,” Lex looked up at Tom. “Is this for real?”

“Yeah, it’s for real. Went to the court hearing last week,” Tom said.

Hannah jumped off Santa’s lap and wrapped her arms around Tom’s waist. “You’re our Daddy now?”

“Hannah, I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”

“Would you like to be in the picture?” one of the elves asked. Tom nodded, going over to wrap his arms over Ethan's shoulders. Ethan was grinning like a fool.

“Three, two, one!”

The picture stayed on their mantle for the rest of time.


	11. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't celebrate christmas, but I have before, sorry if i did it wrong

Christmas day in the Foster household wasn’t a fun day. Lex doubted her mom even knew it was Christmas. She was usually too high to notice when Lex gave Hannah “Santa’s” present and snuck some money out of her purse.

Lex would take Hannah to meet Ethan at Denny’s for breakfast, like they had been doing ever since they met. Ethan always had a present for Hannah and her. She knew they were stolen, but she didn’t care. It was sweet anyway.

Ethan's house wasn't much, if at all, better. They were lucky if they escaped Christmas without a broken nose. Their mom’s dealers would go MIA for the days leading up to Christmas, which meant they had to deal with their mom on withdrawal of pretty much every drug you could imagine.

So you could understand why the teenagers weren’t super excited on Christmas. Sure, they lived with Tom now, and Ethan knew they weren't going to be punched, and Lex knew there would be food on the table, but still. They weren’t expecting much. Tom fought for them, got the court to grant him custody of them. He even made cookies for Santa the day before with Hannah when she asked him to. That was more than they could’ve asked for. He had done enough. They didn’t need more. But Tom didn't do things half-assed.

Lex woke up at nine thirty, with her boyfriend on one side and her sister on the other. Ethan was already awake, watching her.

“Merry Christmas, babe,” they whispered.

“Merry Christmas, angel,” she replied, kissing them. 

Hannah rolled over, face scrunching as she woke up. “Mph.”

“Good morning, Banana,” Lex smiled. “Merry Christmas.”

Suddenly, she was wide awake. “It’s Christmas! Get up!”

Ethan groaned, rolling out of bed. They slept shirtless, so they pulled on one of Lex’s hoodies and helped her up. The sleeves were a bit short, but Lex bought her hoodies oversized for a reason. Lex smiled. Her boyfriend was adorable. She told them so, and their face turned bright red.

"Shut up."

Hannah raced out of the room, towards Tom’s room. He was already awake, expecting Hannah to be awake much earlier. 

“Good morning, sweetheart,” he grinned. “Are Ethan and Lexie awake yet?”

“Uh huh,” Hannah nodded, just as they appeared in the doorway.

Ethan was the first downstairs.

“Holy shit!” Tom heard them shout.

The sisters rushed downstairs after them.

The living room looked like a snapshot from a Christmas movie. There was a small fake tree, surrounded by a few presents, that had been there for a few days, but there were four stockings on the couch, and each was bulging.

Lex turned to Tom. He winked.

“Santa’s never left this much before! It’s because I’m naughty.” Hannah told Tom, who winced. He’d never forgive that woman for making Hannah think these things. The best thing she’d ever done for her children was not showing up for the custody hearing. 

“We can open your stockings after breakfast. Do you want to give Ethan and Lex their presents?” he asked.

Hannah nodded. She handed them the bags.

“You got me a present, Banana-Split?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah! Open it!”

They opened their presents while Tom started on breakfast. “Christmas Casserole”, bread, ham, and cheese, soaked with eggs and milk and baked. He promised it would be good. Lex thought it sounded gross.

“Thank you, Banana-Split. I love it,” they said, sliding off their old gloves and replacing them with the new ones.

“This is great! There’s a new movie I want to see coming out. The lead looks _just_ like Ethan,” Lex added.

Hannah new fidget spinner, an expensive metal one shaped like a spider, from Lex. Ethan got her a soft plush doll and a couple outfits. Tom had a sneaking suspicion the clothes had been stolen from Toy Zone, but the smile on Hannah’s face was big enough that he didn’t care.

“Um, Tom,” Lex coughed. “We got you something too.”

“Oh?” Tom asked, putting the casserole in the oven.

“Yeah.”

Ethan handed him a bag. Tom sat down and pulled out a painting.

It showed him, holding Hannah in one arm, the other around Ethan. Lex was being hugged from behind by them. The painting was beautiful, but the calligraphy across the bottom was what really got to him. _This is us. Tom - Lex - Hannah - Ethan. The Houstons._ It was perfect.

“Oh my god, guys,” his voice cracked. He covered his face, concentrating on not crying. “This is incredible, thank you.”

“No, thank you,” Lex said. “You've done more for us than we could ever repay you. This has been an amazing Christmas, and it's not even noon yet.”

“Best Christmas ever,” Hannah agreed, hugging Tom. “Thank you, Daddy.”

Tom’s breath hitched. _Daddy._ Hannah called him Daddy. He was her dad. 

“You’re welcome, Hannah,” he whispered, hugging her back tightly.

“Where’s it gonna go?” Ethan asked.

“Not sure. Maybe my office at work?” 

Lex grinned as Tom stood up and pulled her into a hug. “It’s amazing, you guys, I love it.”

“Ethan painted it,” she said.

“You? You painted this?” Tom said. “It’s incredible, angel.”

“Thanks. Took seventeen hours,” Ethan blushed.

“It’s wonderful. Thank you.”

The oven timer beeped and Tom got the Christmas casserole out of the oven. 

“I used to eat it with ketchup,” he told them. “My mom made it every Christmas.”

“It smells really good,” Lex admitted.

Tom served them each a piece. Hannah put ketchup on hers.

It tasted like home.


	12. C

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex gets a test mark she's not happy with

Tom was awoken in the middle of the night to crying coming from one of the bedrooms. Most parents would be used to this, probably know well enough to know which kid it was. He'd never gone through the baby/toddler years with his kids, so it took him a moment to realize. He listened for a second, thinking maybe it was from a YouTube video, or a movie. It wasn’t. It was Lex. Easy to tell, as no one was shushing her, like they would if it was Hannah, and Ethan cried silently. Lex had always cried silently before now, but it was very clearly her. He crept down the hall towards the room and peeked inside.

Sure enough, the teenager was curled up alone in her bed, sobbing into her knees.

“Lexie bird, what’s wrong?” he whispered, creeping into the room and closing the door. “Where’s Hannah?”

“Ethan’s room. She’s always scared they’re gonna get hurt again,” Lex sniffed, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her pajamas. "I didn't wanna wake them up, so I stayed."

“Okay,” Tom sat on the bed next to her. “Wanna tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing's wrong.”

Tom took one look at Lex's wet, puffy eyes and could have laughed if he wasn't so concerned. “Lex, you’re so far from convincing me right now,” Tom said honestly. “What’s wrong?”

She was silent for a moment. “I’m scared you’ll hate me if I tell you.”

“I’ll never hate you, Lex. You can tell me anything, I promise I won’t be mad,” Tom said, tilting her chin up so their eyes met.

Lex sobbed softly, pulling a piece of paper out of her backpack next to her bed. Her hands shook as she offered it to him. “I-I failed!”

Tom took the piece of paper. It was a math test, the one Lex had studied furiously for weeks. She had been so worried about it, she even got Ethan to help her study. There was a big red C on top. 70 out of 100. 

“I don’t know what happened!” she cried. “I studied so hard!”

“Lex, I know you studied a lot, I was so impressed with your effort. This isn’t a bad grade,” Tom told her, rubbing her back gently. “You passed it, and you said it yourself, it was a hard test. I bet this is one of the better marks.”

Lex wiped at her eyes. “I wanted to get a good mark so bad.”

Tom knew something off. “Lex, what’s this really about? You’ve never cared about marks before.”

Her cheeks turned red, telling him he was right. There was something else going on here.

“I-I just, I just wanted you to be proud of me,” Lex admitted, shrinking into herself. “I’m sorry.”

“Lex, I am proud of you!” he gasped, staring at her. “You know more about car engines than anyone I know, and you’re an amazing sister. You single handedly raised a kid, and provided for yourself. I’m so proud of you.”

“But I can’t pass a fucking math test!”

“This is a pass! And we both know math isn’t your comfort area. You got a good mark, Lex. I was so happy to see you studying, I didn’t care what mark you got. Did you try your best?”

“Yeah.”

“And what do I always say in class?”

Lex grinned, quoting it off by heart. “You might fail if you cut off your finger, but if you show up and put in the effort, I won’t hold a little mistake like that against you.”

“There you go. You didn't even cut off your finger, I'd say you did pretty damn well,” he wiped her tears away with his thumb. “No more crying, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks, Dad,” Lex said, hiding her face in his shoulder. 

Tom’s heart leapt. _Dad._ He was Lex’s dad. 

He stayed there all night, eventually falling asleep with the teenager held close to his chest, leaning against the headboard. In the morning, his neck and back were killing him, but his little girl had a bright smile on her face, so it was worth it.


	13. Feverish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan gets sick and Tom takes care of them
> 
> TW: VOMIT

Something about Ethan Green that pissed Lex off was how little they got sick. Lex got sick at least a couple times a year, same with Hannah, but Ethan? They could go years without getting sick. 

"It's my magic hat," they insisted. Hannah believed them. Lex rolled her eyes.

Another thing about Ethan that pissed off Lex? When they _did_ get sick, they got _really fucking sick_.

Maybe it was because their bedroom used to have gross green and grey mold growing in it. Maybe it was because their parents didn't take care of them and they had no money to go to the doctor. Maybe it was because their mom hit them if they weren't at school. Lex wasn't sure, but she knew all of those things were true.

When they were in grade eight, they didn’t show up to class for almost a week before coming back. And when they did come back, they still looked sick. Lex found out later that they had been delirious and hadn’t eaten the entire time they'd been gone from school. From then on, if they didn’t show up to school, Lex would sneak in later to make sure they ate and drank water. Their mom wouldn’t give them medicine, so Lex snuck it in. They hadn’t gotten sick at Tom’s yet, but it was only a matter of time.

This was the time. Lex woke up on January 16th to the sound of puking coming from the bathroom. She opened the door, covering her eyes in case it wasn't Ethan.

“Ethan?”

She received heaving as a response. She peeked inside to find her boyfriend leaning over the toilet gagging. Their face was flushed pink and their eyes were foggy. They were definitely sick.

She rubbed their back gently. "You okay, baby?"

Ethan shook their head, tears dripping down their cheeks. "N-no."

“I’ll go get Tom,” Lex said. “Don’t...die.”

“I-I'll try.”

Lex found her father downstairs, cutting up an apple for Hannah.

“Morning, Lex,” he nodded. “How was your sleep?”

“It was good. Ethan’s throwing up in the bathroom,” Lex said. “They’re sick. I don't think they can go to school today.”

“Shit. Can you make Hannah’s lunch? You two might have to walk today.”

Lex nodded and he rushed upstairs. Ethan was still gagging in the bathroom, spitting out nothing but stomach acid. 

“Hey Tom,” they greeted, a dry sob echoing out of their throat.

“Hey, angel. Think we can get you to your bedroom? It’ll be a lot more comfortable than the floor.”

“Maybe,” they shrugged weakly. 

Tom put their arm under Ethan’s arm and half-carried, half-dragged them back to their room slowly.

“Did you wake up like this?”

“Didn’t sleep,” Ethan mumbled. “Couldn’t.”

“Why didn’t you come wake me up?” he asked, sitting them down on the bed. 

Ethan’s eyes fluttered between open and closed. “Mom would make me clean if I told her I was sick. D-didn’t wanna bother you.”

Tom’s heart sunk. “I wouldn’t make you clean while you’re sick, E. Open.” He gently pushed the thermometer under the kid’s tongue, laying them down. Ethan let them, staring at him through glassy eyes. The tears had mostly stopped now that they weren't throwing up, but Tom knew Ethan was out of it. Usually, Ethan was like a rock, impossible to hurt unless you had the right tools, but right now, they were like glass, ready to shatter.

“I know, but I thought you’d be mad at me for waking you up,” they said quietly.

“Never. You can always wake me up, even if it’s just to talk,” Tom removed the thermometer as it beeped. He whistled. “102. Not great.”

Ethan hummed, letting out a whine as Tom put a cloth soaked in cold water on their wrist. “Cold.”

“Yeah, well, bud, you’re burning up,” Tom explained. “We gotta cool you down.”

He heard the door shut downstairs, and made a mental note to text Lex later. Maybe he’d pick up Hannah’s favourite food for dinner. Something, to make it up to them. First, Ethan needed him.

He got up to get some water and medicine, but the kid grabbed his arm, fevered eyes wide.

“Don’t go!”

“It’s okay, I’ll be right back,” Tom promised softly. “One minute, okay?”

Ethan looked very not okay with it, but let go of his arm anyway. 

Tom went downstairs and smiled. Fever reducers and stomach settlers were on the table and the kettle was filled with boiling water. Hannah and Lex were too good for this world.

He grabbed the medicine and filled a glass up with water. He had a sneaking suspicion that, if handed a cup of hot tea liquid, Ethan would spill it and burn themself. He grabbed a bowl too, so they wouldn’t have to run down the hall if their nausea returned.

Ethan was curled up next to the stairs when Tom returned.

“Ethan, what are you doing?”

“Making sure you weren’t leaving.”

“Not leaving, just getting you medicine,” Tom pulled them back to their bedroom gently. “Come on, back into bed.”

“Got class.”

“I’ll call you in sick."

“ _You_ have class.”

“I’ll tell them my kid is sick and I have to take care of them,” Tom said. "It's okay, E. You almost never miss class anymore, they'll understand."

Ethan seemed to be satisfied with that and allowed Tom to tuck the blankets around them. “I’m tired.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Tom agreed, pouring a measurement of medicine into a cup. “Drink.”

Ethan swallowed the medicine, barely even wincing at the taste. Tom smiled. Ethan hadn’t even wanted to take Advil while at Tom’s house at first, nervous about taking drugs too strong. They told Tom they’d once taken their mom’s pills and Lex found them two days later passed out in their room. 

Now they trusted Tom to give them things that were safe. It warmed Tom’s heart.

With Ethan medicated and sipping water, Tom took a step back. What did you do for kids when they were sick? Leave them alone? What if they needed him and were too sick to come get him? When he was a kid, his mom would give him bourbon and cough syrup, but he knew that wasn't right. He turned back to his kid.

Ethan was nodding off, eyes struggling to stay open. They kept their eyes on Tom, watching.

“You can go to sleep, angel,” he said, taking the glass of water from them.

“Thanks, Dad,” Ethan mumbled. “Stay?”

“Sure, bud,” Tom agreed. He sat down at Ethan’s desk and began to grade papers. Within ten minutes, he noticed Ethan’s body shivering, even under all the blankets. 

He got up and climbed into the bed and wrapped his arms around them. Ethan curled into his chest and sighed contently. 

“Dad?”

“Yeah. Go to sleep, Ethan. I’ve got you.”


	14. Becky Barnes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom goes to his high school reunion

Lex, Ethan and Hannah all agreed; Tom needed to go to his 15th high school reunion. Tom disagreed. He hadn’t got to the five year one, nor the tenth, so he wasn’t really planning on going to this one either. He stupidly left the invitation on the table and it was all over.

“I’ll have to stay in Clivesdale overnight,” he argued. “I don’t want to leave you kids alone.”

“We can cook, and Ethan can drive us to school,” Lex countered.

“What if there’s an emergency and I can’t get here in time?”

“We survived on our own for ten years. We can survive one more day,” Ethan insisted.

“I don’t want to go.”

“Yes, you do.” Hannah said. 

He fought tooth and nail, but his kids were ever more stubborn. 

Which is why Tom was there, in a dress shirt and jeans (Lex confiscated his flannel), drinking the cheapest beer the bar had and watching his old classmates chat and catch up. He had no one he wanted to talk to. His old football buddies were wearing their old letterman jackets with their wives, who looked ten years younger than them, and they looked like the kind of people who would call Ethan slurs in a 7-11 parking lot.

He was about to leave, maybe watch some TV in his hotel room, when Becky Barnes slid into the booth across from him.

“Hey, Tom,” she smiled, sipping on a glass of whiskey.

“Hey, Beck.”

“How’s life been?”

“Crazy,” he replied honestly. “You?”

“Crazier. Went to nursing school, moved to Hatchetfield,” she told him.

“Same. Teaching auto mechanics at the high school,” Tom said.

“Really? God, if I’d known, I would have visited you. I’ve missed you.” Becky was gorgeous. She always had been, but she looked happier, healthier, for the most part, but her face had a semi-healed bruise on it. Tom had seen enough bruises to know she'd been punched. He'd ask about it later.

“I missed you to. How have you been?” he asked. “Did you get married?”

“Nah. Had a boyfriend for a while, but he, uh, he left me for some woman here,” Becky said. “Good riddance. What about you?”

Tom shook his head. “Served some time in Iraq. I don’t know if you want to hear about them, but I got a few kids.”

Becky perked up. “I love kids! Adopted?”

“Kinda. Court granted me permanent custody of them. They're my students, with bad home situations.”

Becky leaned on the table, smiling. Tom felt like he was back in high school, sharing a milkshake with her after winning a football game. 

“Tell me about them.”

“Well, Hannah’s turning eight in a month. She’s an angel. She likes singing, and Star Wards, and she’s got an imaginary friend, Webby. She’s a spider from outer space. Her sister is Lex, she’s sixteen, and probably knows more about cars than me. She’s… she’s kinda like you actually.”

“How?”

“Lex has been taking care of Hannah since Hannah was born. She’s not even bitter about it, she keeps doing it. She cares about people,” Tom grinned.

Becky giggled. “Two girls, huh? Wouldn’t take you for the type.”

“You don't know the half of it," Tom chuckled. "I haven’t even told you about Ethan yet. They’re the real trouble.”

“Good trouble, or bad trouble?”

“A mix. They get into fights to defend Lex and Hannah. Their mom, um, their mom hit them a lot, so they’re used to running away. We’re working on it. They’re sweet though. You just have to get used to them.”

“I’d love to meet them,” Becky said, finishing her drink. “I should get going. I took a bus here, you?”

“Drove. If you wanna join me for the night, I’ll drive you back tomorrow,” Tom offered. He didn’t want to stop talking to Becky. 

“Why, Tom Houston, I’d be happy to,” she agreed, a pink blush dusting her cheeks.

They left the bar without saying goodbye to anyone. As they walked through the familiar streets of Clivesdale, Becky’s hand slipped into Tom’s.

“I’m cold.”

“Sure.”Tom would never tell the kids he was glad they forced him to go to the reunion, but he saw their faces when he brought Becky inside. They already knew.


	15. Learning to like Becky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex loved Becky from the get-go  
> Ethan warmed up to her pretty fast  
> Hannah did not

After that night, Becky became a standard part of life around the Houston home. She was over almost every night, unless she had an overnight shift at the hospital, and then she’d stop by in the afternoon. She would bring coffee over on weekends and could figure out if Ethan would be fine with Tom’s First Aid after a fight, or if they should go to the hospital.

To Tom’s surprise, Lex loved her, loved how she would watch Grey’s Anatomy with her, loved how she would help her with her science, loved everything about her. Lex was Becky’s girl and they became _very_ close, _very_ quickly. If Lex couldn’t talk to Tom about something, she shot Becky a text without blinking. Becky was more than happy to help. She loved Lex just as much as Lex loved her. She’d always wanted a daughter, and Lex had always wanted a proper mom. They fit perfectly. Within days, Lex was pestering Tom about whether or not he was going to marry Becky, to which Tom didn't have a good answer.

Ethan liked her too, though they were a lot more wary at first. Becky understood, gave them space, and tried to be quiet and calm around them. Ethan warmed up to them slowly, then all at once.

She was just finishing brushing her hair after a long shift when the door slammed shut.

“Ethan, are you okay?” Becky asked, as the teenager stormed upstairs. She turned to her boyfriend inquisitively.

“Dysphoric day,” Tom explained. 

“Substitute misgendered them and called them their deadname,” Lex added, throwing down her bag. “I’ll go get them.”

“Here, I’ll do it,” Becky offered. She knew a thing or two about dysphoria. 

She knocked on their door. “Ethan?”

“Fuck off!”

Becky was a nurse. She was used to dealing with angry, emotional teenagers, but this was different. This was Tom’s kid. If she messed this one up, it would be bad. She was about to turn around, when she heard soft sobs coming from behind the closed door.

She opened the door slowly. Ethan was on the bed, face down. 

“I hate being trans,” they mumbled, sniffing.

“I get it,” she said gently, sitting down next to them. 

“How could you? You don’t get it, you don’t know what it’s like to have no one fucking call you what you are, so don’t fucking tell me you get it,” Ethan growled dangerously.

“Ethan, I’m trans.”

That stopped them. They glanced up, staring at her. She resisted the urge to wipe their tears away.

“Really?”

“Yep. Came out in Grade 11, started estrogen the month after I graduated,” Becky smiled, sitting next to them. “It wasn't easy. I don’t think anyone really called me Becky, except Tom, until I moved here.”

“But I’m nonbinary. With you, you pass, so they use your pronouns,” they pointed out. “With me, it doesn’t matter where I do, they’ll decide what I look like and use those pronouns.”

“I’m not going to pretend that I can completely relate,” Becky admitted. “But if you ever need help, I do have an idea.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Ethan nodded, a small smile on their face.

“Feeling better?”

Ethan nodded. “You’re pretty cool, Becky.”

“Thanks, Ethan. You’re not so bad yourself.”

Hannah did not like Becky. At all. 

“Bad. Bad, bad, nurse, scary, bad, bad, bad,” she told Lex.

“I’m a nice nurse, Hannah,” Becky said, encouragingly.  
  
“No.”

Lex explained it to her later.

“Hannah’s autistic, and she was terrified of needles when she was little. We went to a cheap walk-in, because our mom wouldn’t take us to the doctor, and they yelled at her and held her down to give them to her. She hates doctors,” Lex shrugged. “Give her a few weeks.”

Becky did. She changed out of her scrubs before Hannah got home, scrubbed her hands clean of the smell of the hospital, she kept her voice soft, and printed out doctor-themed colouring sheets. It didn’t matter. Hannah didn’t like her.

She didn’t mind that Hannah didn’t like her, but she wanted the girl to feel safe in her own home. Slowly ( _very slowly)_ Hannah began to tolerate her. She’d say hello when she saw her. She’d sit in the same room. It was good enough for Becky. She didn’t need Hannah to love her as much as Lex did. 

Tom was going on a trip and he was stressing out. It was for a teacher’s conference, and it wasn’t optional. 

“I’ve never left them for longer than a night,” he told Becky. “Can you check in on them? Make sure Lex is eating properly, and Ethan’s not getting into fights, and Hannah’s feeling okay?”

“Babe, it’ll be fine,” she said, kissing his cheek. “I’ve got Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday off. I’ll come by, cook a fucking casserole or something.”

“You’re incredible, you know?” Tom smiled. “I’ve missed you, Becky.”

“You need to pack,” she reminded him, blushing.

Tom left on Wednesday morning. It was a bad day. Hannah couldn’t handle wearing jeans, so she wore leggings. She couldn’t wear a shirt, so she drowned in one of Ethan’s hoodies. Even normal speaking levels were too loud, so Lex opened the door with her finger on her lips.

“Hannah’s having a really bad day. Can you just… make sure she doesn’t die? She’s good with crunchy foods right now, and watered down juice or water.” Lex told her. 

“Okay. Is she verbal?”

“Not really. She’ll probably sleep most of the day, she’s exhausted. She was up half the night crying and screaming.”

Becky nodded, slipping off her shoes. Ethan and Lex left for school, and Becky was alone with Hannah.

She tidied the kitchen, humming quietly. She poured some cheerios into a bowl and crept into Hannah’s room.

Hannah was laying on the bed, sobbing as she rocked herself. She was surrounded by stim toys, but they obviously weren’t working.

She peaked through her fingers at Becky. “H-H-Heavy.”

“Heavy?”

“N-N-Need.”

“You need heavy?”

“Mhm.”

Becky grabbed the weighted blanket from the ground and gently tossed it around Hannah. “Can you lay down?”

Hannah obviously could, and she did. Becky threw a couple pillows on her.

“Hannah, you can say no to this,” she whispered. “Can I hug you?”

“Mhm.”

Becky lay down next to her, wrapping her arms around the small girl. “Better?”

“Mhm.”

They lay like that for a few hours, Becky playing on her phone while Hannah got her brain to shut up.

Hannah began to squirm at 11:49.

“Feeling better, Miss Banana?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. 

“Do you want some food?”

“Yeah.”

They went down to the kitchen and Hannah munched on some celery and peanut butter. Becky stole a piece and Hannah giggled.

They coloured quietly until 4:00, when Ethan and Lex came in.

“Hey, Banana,” Lex said softly. “Good day or bad day?”

“Good day! Becky coloured with me!”

“I thought you didn’t like nurses.”

“Don’t like nurses. I like Becky.”

Becky had to excuse herself to cry in the kitchen.


	16. Father's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all already know

Father’s day had never been celebrated in the Foster household. Hannah and Lex didn’t even have the same dad, and neither stuck around to see them grow up. Lex could vaguely remember a man smoking a cigarette and putting it out on her forearm, but she had no idea if that was her dad, or just one of her mom’s boyfriends. Ethan’s dad had never been a good enough dad to warrant anything more than a quiet “Happy Father’s Day” every year, until he also left when they were ten.

Still, when Hannah came home from school on Friday and told Lex they had made Father’s Day presents in art class, Lex liked the idea. Tom deserved it, he deserved a nice Father’s Day, even if she had never celebrated it before. She had no idea where to start. She didn’t know what dad’s liked. Ethan didn’t know what they were supposed to do either. Their dad spent Father’s day the same way he spent every day: drinking and ignoring his kid. Ethan didn’t think Tom would do that, but what were they supposed to do? Let him sleep in? Cook breakfast for him? Leave him alone and let him have a day of peace? They really didn’t know. 

None of them could think of anything, which led to Ethan, Hannah, and Lex standing on the front steps to Becky’s house at eight o’clock in the morning on the day before Father’s Day. 

“Hey, guys, what can I do for you?” the red-haired nurse asked, opening the door and letting them into the house. “Where’s Tom?”

“He doesn’t know we’re here, and you can’t tell him,” Lex said. 

“We want to do something nice for Dad for Father’s Day,” Ethan explained. “We don’t know what we’re doing. Can you help us?”

“Yeah, of course I can,” she said, starting her coffee maker with a yawn. “Hannah, honey, do you want a drink?”

“Can I have juice, please?”

“Is apple okay?”

Hannah nodded.

Becky handed out the drinks, black coffee for Lex, coffee with sugar and milk for Ethan, and coffee with milk for her, and pulled out a notepad. She thought better when she wrote things down.

“So… what do you want to do?”

“We don’t know. None of us have done this before,” Lex admitted. “But we have to do  _ something _ .” 

“Well, I know I would make my dad crafts in school. He’d keep them on his desk at work,” Becky suggested.

“I made a picture and frame in art class!” Hannah said. “They’re under our bed.”

“Shouldn’t we just leave him alone?” Ethan asked. “My parents loved it when I was out of the house.”

“No,” Lex said sternly. “Dad wouldn’t want that. Your parents were just fucked up.”

“Well, you could spend the day together,” Becky said. “He’d love that. You could get snacks and watch movies together.”   


Ethan snapped their fingers. “That’s a good idea. You’ll come too, right?”

Becky shook her head. “It’s your day, I don’t want to intrude."

“No, please come!” Hannah piped up. “It’ll be fun!”

“Yeah, he’ll love it!” Lex agreed.

Becky smiled. “Fine, if you’re sure. I’ll be there. What time?”

“Ten-ish?” Lex said, taking Hannah’s cup and putting it in the sink. “Thanks, Becky!”

“Anytime.” 

The next morning, Tom woke up to silence. As a person with three kids, that was worrying. He threw on his flannel and flew down the stairs to find...Hannah on the couch, eating a bowl of cereal, Ethan sleepily watching TV, and Lex brushing her hair. Becky sat with Hannah, reading a book.

“You good, Dad?” Ethan asked.

“You guys are never this quiet,” Tom said. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Father’s Day,” Lex said.

“We wanted to let you sleep in!” Hannah added.

Tom shook his head, smiling. “Well, thank you. Whatcha doing here, Becks?”

“The kids wanted me to join in on your Father’s Day. Hope you don’t mind,” she said.

“Of course not. I didn’t know we were celebrating Father’s Day.”

“Well, you’re our dad, thought it would be fun,” Lex shrugged, blushing. “Is that okay?”

“Lex, it’s more than okay,” Tom said, sitting in between her. and Hannah. “What are we doing?”

“Watching movies. We went and bought snacks yesterday.”

“Can I give him my present now?” Hannah asked.

When Lex nodded, Hannah ran off to their bedroom. She came back with a picture frame made out of popsicle sticks clutched in her hand.

“Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!” she beamed, thrusting it towards him.

The picture was a printed out photo of the five of them at the Spring Carnival. Ethan was wrapped around Lex and Hannah sat on Tom’s shoulders with a teddy bear in her hands, with Becky in the middle of a laugh. That had been a good day. The picture frame was decorated with spiders and bugs and flowers with felt-tip markers.

“It’s beautiful, Hannah,” he said softly. “Thank you.”

He stood up, leaning it against the mantle, right next to the Christmas photo.

“By the end of the year, no one’s ever going to question that I’ve got three kids,” Tom joked.

“The way you act?” Becky teased. “No one questions it now.”

Ethan hugged Tom, tucking their head into his shoulder. “Thanks for being a good dad.”

“Ethan, getting you three to come live with me was the best decision I’ve ever made,” Tom told them. “I love you three so much. You're the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Lex waved her hands in front of her eyes, drying her tears before they could fall. “Damn it, okay, sit down, you’re going to give me a cavity.”

They did, and Lex turned on the first movie.  _ The Breakfast Club _ .

“We watched this on our first date,” Becky told them. “Not very romantic, but it was fun.”

“I remember. We hid in your basement with stale popcorn and M&Ms and your sister found us there the next morning,” Tom nodded. “Good times.”

“Shh!” Hannah whispered. “This is a good song.”

Tom sat back and stopped talking.

“Happy Father’s Day, Dad.”


End file.
